Domaine Jean Grivot

Etienne Grivot succeeded his father, Jean, in 1987, and today presides over 15 hectares of vines spread accross Nuits, Vosne, Vougeot and Echézeaux. This is one of the modern-day, benchmark Burgundian domaines. The estate’s densely-planted old vines (the average age is 40 years old) produce naturally-low yields and, together with Etienne’s organic approach to viticulture and sensitive winemaking, result in vivid, pure, very well-balanced Burgundies. The wines are much more softly extracted than when Etienne first started, the winemaking is incredibly flexible, depending on the vintage, but usually only 5% of stalks are retained, and rarely more than a third of the barrels are new. Daughter Mathilde and son Hubert have committed to working at the Domaine and have taken on more responsibility from Etienne since 2017, so the estate's future seems secure. A reference point Burgundy Domaine.

2017 Vintage

The Grivots tend to prefer longer vegetative cycles, so they began harvesting on the 12th September in 2017; up until then they found that the grape skins had still been showing signs of greenness. Because berries were so healthy and there was no sign of rot they had the luxury of waiting for what they felt was optimum ripeness. Etienne describes the season as dry but harmonious, finishing with good harvest conditions and as result there was little or no “triage” needed. A very Burgundian, delicate, fluid year at this Domaine. Wines that demonstrate the sort of elegance we have come to expect from Etienne, Mathilde and Hubert Grivot. Etienne sums up 2017 as “having great precision and drinkability, these wines are flattering now but I think they will age well.”

2018 Vintage

Domaines often benefit from youthful dynamism and a fresh perspective, qualities Mathilde Grivot has brought to the estate since taking over the reins with her brother. Better still, though, when you have the benefit of experience behind you as well, as Mathilde has with her father Etienne. Feeling the year was warm and fast-growing, Etienne counselled later ploughing to “slow the year down.” What followed was one of the warmest and driest years on record. The vines grew and grapes ripened at pace. Etienne was concerned not to get swept up in the rush and pick too early. The vital element in 2018, as far as he was concerned, was ensuring berries were picked when tannins were ripe. This meant picking began here on 11th September, by which time Etienne felt not only were berries fully ripe but they had concentrated, too, which resulted in improving the ratio of acidity to juice as well as sugars and tannins. This is a vintage of strength and substance at Domaine Grivot, less airy and ethereal than recent vintages but they don’t lack for freshness and flaunt the most outrageously velvety textures.

2019 Vintage

Since his debut vintage in 1982 Etienne Grivot has never seen a vintage like 2019, according to his daughter Mathilde, who expanded by explaining that “the Pinot Noirs were all between 13 and 14 degrees alcohol and the acidity was at a pH of 3.45, which is a beautiful pH for this kind of vintage.” No surprises, judging by recent great form, that the Grivots have excelled. Although this was a dry year, rain arrived when needed. This and the fact that the domaine is very careful about when and how they plough the soils, to keep as much moisture in them as possible, were key points. The Grivots like to get perfectly ripe tannins in their grapes and, noting some fruit heterogeneity after a protracted flowering, meant they had to wait to achieve this. Vintage began on the 18th September. Winemaking is classic Grivot: 100% de-stalked, a cold pre-soak, whole berry fermentation, a gentle “peaceful” vinification, as Mathilde calls it, and ageing for 15 months in barrels of between 20 and 50% new oak depending on the cuvée. Mathilde justifiably rates the wines very highly. “They are charming with precision. (They are) complex and we don’t lose freshness . I love the energy and sensuality, they have a spicy liquorice edge, too.” Top notch, silky, sensual red Burgundies from a top notch domaine.

2020 Vintage

The “challenge” of the 2020 season, according to Etienne Grivot was “to get phenolic ripeness and keep freshness. I don’t like alcohols much higher than 13.5% for Pinot Noir.” Grivot makes a point of not ploughing early in the year (which warms the soil) and this means a slow start to the season and a long vegetative cycle. Picking started on the 3rd September with healthy grapes registering an average of 13.5% alcohol (the exception being the Pruliers that was over 14%) and, crucially, acidity levels that were even higher than 2019. This makes for an extraordinary balance. These are wines of tell-tale Grivot sensuality and allure, whilst offering the flesh, power and raciness typical of the best 2020 reds.

2021 Vintage

A commanding, brilliant and uplifting range of wines chez Grivot this year, imbued with luminous fruit, glorious textures and great complexity. As is so often the case here, the wines possess both very precise fruit but also textures to make you weak at the knees. Harvest started on the 23rd of September, Etienne, Matilde and Hubert keen as ever to achieve perfect ripeness so as to ensure extractions were as natural and as gentle as possible. “This vintage is much more serious than many might be expecting” Etienne opined. “More and more I compare this with 2010 and 2012, the acids more like the latter, but with more energy”. As a result of this conviction, bottling will take place at the normal time after a standard élevage. Yields were around 50% of a normal harvest.

2022 Vintage

Harvest for the Grivots started on the 6th September, quite late for the vintage, yet the wines are beautifully fresh with alcohols that range from 12.7 to 13.4%. As Etienne explained, “for a few years now our vegetative cycle has started about 12 days after others in the region. How you manage the vineyard inoculates against an overly quick maturation of the grapes. For us, the key to great wine is a longer vegetative cycle - the chance to have another lunar cycle is huge. If you are compelled by impulse to start the season early, you finish early. That’s just logic.”. The 2022s here are utterly superb, combining sensual textures with great freshness and layered length with vitality. Whatever they’re doing, whether it’s following the moon, or a more basic intuition, it’s working! A glorious range.

2023 Vintage

“They are magnificent, these 2023s,” Etienne Grivot proudly announced halfway through our tasting. “Bon bons!” And bon bons and bons vins they truly are. Our old friend, Etienne’s daughter Mathilde, was pouring the wines and she explained that their biggest challenge in 2023 was managing yields. Having carried a green harvest in the summer, they observed the vines compensating with growth in the grapes, so they stopped dropping fruit, and instead relied on their sorting table to eliminate under-ripe bunches – removing between 12 and 21% of the yield depending on the cuvée. With a larger crop to ripen, harvest here started on the 12th September, with degrees ranging from 12.5% for the Bourgogne, up to a maximum of 13.4% for the grands crus. This was a wonderful tasting; the wines sleek and deep yet fresh, full of style and with clearly defined vineyard signatures.